Ingredients:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 teaspoon dry mustard
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces whole shelled hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2 large apples (such as Fujis or Galas), quartered, cored, and sliced into thin wedges
1 pound escarole, torn or cut into bite sized pieces (about 6 cups)
3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (about ¾ cups)
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced lengthwise (about ½ cup)
½ cup chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley
Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, shallot, mustard, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow and steady stream until incorporated.
2. Put the nuts in a zip-lock bag, force the air out, seal, and break nuts with a meat pounder or heavy skillet into uneven pieces.
3. In a large bowl, toss the apples with 1 Tablespoon of the dressing. Add the escarole, cheese, onion, parsley, and hazlenuts. Toss with remaining dressing and serve.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 bag of broccoli florets
3 tablespoons peanut oil
6 green onions, sliced on the diagonal
3-5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced and peeled ginger
1 pound tofu
dash of cayenne
2-3 tablespoons tamari
3 cups hot cooked brown rice (optional)
Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot, but not smoking. Stir in the broccoli and stir constantly, until broccoli is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. You may need to add a drop or two of water while you are stir-frying to prevent sticking.
2. Add the green onions, garlic, and ginger; stir a minute or so until the onions begin to soften.
3. Add the tofu, cayenne, and tamari. Stir then cover the pan so the vegetables and tofu can steam.
4. Remove from the heat when the vegetables are just crisp-tender, about 3- 5 minutes.
5. Serve at once over hot brown rice.
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
Peppers
1 quart water
1 quart vinegar
3 cups sugar or sweetener of choice
oil of choice (I use olive oil)
Garlic cloves
Directions:
1. Cut peppers into rings or strips and de-seed. Pack into heat resistant jars.
2. Add to each jar: 1 tablespoon oil and 2 cloves garlic.
3. Boil vinegar, water and sugar for 2-4 minutes and fill jars, seal and allow to cool. Store refrigerated.
Ingredients:
4 cups packed finely chopped raw kale
1 large apple, chopped
1 cup thinly sliced celery
½ cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons raisins (I use golden)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons water (add more as needed)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
1. Place kale in a large bowl. Add half the chopped apple along with the celery, ¼ cup walnuts, and ¼ cup raisins.
2. Put remaining apple in a blender or food processor along with the remaining 2 tablespoons raisins, mustard, water, vinegar, and salt. Puree until well combined and slightly thick, adding water if needed.
3. Pour dressing over salad and mix well.
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
4-6 Hungarian peppers, deseeded and diced
4 medium potatoes, boiled in their skins
1 medium red onion, diced
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 sprig curry leaves, torn (optional)
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 dried chili arbol, split in two
¼ teaspoon turmeric
1 pinch asafetida (optional)
sea salt to taste
2 tablespoons finely minced cilantro or basil
juice of ½ lime
Directions:
1. Peel and crumble the boiled potatoes once they have cooled.
2. Heat oil in a skillet, when smoking hot, add the mustard and cumin; give it a stir and wait for the mustard to sputter, lower the heat and add the arbol chili; when it browns, add the torn curry leaves (if using), onions and peppers. Saute until the onions turn translucent; sprinkle in the asafetida if using and give it a stir.
3. Add the crumbled potatoes, turmeric, and salt. Combine until the turmeric imparts an even color. Add 1 cup of water, cover and simmer on low heat for about 7-10 minutes.
4. Drizzle with lime juice, stir and transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with basil or cilantro before serving.
Serves 3
Ingredients:
3-4 potatoes, cut into cubes (peeling optional)
2 cups chopped onion
1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic
6 cups water
1½ teaspoons sea salt, to taste
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 pounds fresh spinach, cleaned and chopped
½ cup minced fresh dill (optional)
1 handful fresh basil leaves
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Place the potatoes, onions, garlic, water, salt, and mustard in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer slowly for about 20 minutes.
2. Use a food processor or blender to puree the soup with all its solids, adding the spinach and fresh herbs along the way. You will definitely need to do this in batches.
3. Return the soup to the pot and heat slowly. Serve hot with a drizzle of yogurt and a dusting of mild paprika on top, if desired.
Serves 6 or more
Celebrate the Beginning of Summer at Live Earth Farm
Join us Saturday, June 22nd from 2:00 PM till Dark
“From you I receive, to you I give, together we share, and so we live.” – Herbalist Song quoted from “The Apple Grower” by Michael Phillips.
You know the start of Summer is just around the corner when you open your shares this week and get a strong whiff of Basil. Things are really picking up, and I find myself with little time to write my piece for the newsletter this week. I can’t miss the opportunity, though, to invite everyone who is in some way connected to the farm to join us for our 18th Annual Summer Solstice Celebration on June 22nd.
It is a Live Earth Farm tradition to celebrate the changing of the seasons and witness the diversity of crops in the fields and orchards, of which many are approaching maturity to be harvested over the coming months (see Crop and Field Notes: Blenheim Apricots). The Summer Solstice always marks the moment at which we like to pause to acknowledge all the hard work already put in throughout the Spring. It’s time to take a short breather in preparation for the greater harvests ahead.
By celebrating as a community, I like to believe that we recognize the common link we have with the land, the food, the people, and how this connection weaves Live Earth Farm into the larger foodshed we all live in. The Summer Solstice celebration has something for everyone to enjoy. I hope to see you all here on the 22nd.
The Royal Blenheim Apricots are back!!
(Pencil in the possible pick-your own dates noted below. Active CSA members can soon order through our Web Store.)
I guess you can’t expect royalty on a “peasant farm” every year. After three years of no Royal Blenheim Apricot harvests, this year’s crop, due to dry spring weather, is abundant and about 2 weeks away from reaching maturity.
Royal Blenheim Apricots are irresistibly inviting in appearance and seductively aromatic and sweet. The Royal Blenheim, considered by many the best tasting Apricot in California, traces it’s heritage back to the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris and England’s Blenheim Palace. In the 1880’s this “noble” and delicate fruit was first planted in the gardens of the Spanish missions and expanded as trade with Europe came to a halt during the War years. The Blenheims were popular both for their high sugar content and superior sun drying qualities. In the 1920’s Blenheims blanketed Santa Clara and Alameda counties and the Sacramento Valley. Today only a few orchards of Royal Blenheims remain standing. Even fewer are managed organically and grown on a commercial scale in our cool and often moist coastal environment.
Blenheims have a short 2-3 week harvest period, typically lasts from end of June to mid July. The extra fruit options will have more than their value’s worth in Apricots, in addition to berries and plums. For anyone who would like to preserve these magnificent fruit for future enjoyment dried or as jams, we will sell additional 10lb boxes to active CSA members through the Web Store and deliver them with your share. For those eager to pick their own, I will tentatively pencil in June 29 and July 6th. We will announce a firm date in the next couple of weeks.
We are all very excited to once again offer our community this rare and amazing Apricot variety.
Ingredients:
4 medium golden beets
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup uncooked wheat berries (you can substitute any grain you like, but the wheat berries add a wonderful chewy texture)
2 cups water
½ cup unsalted pumpkin seeds, toasted and divided
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup diced celery
¼ cup thinly sliced shallots
2 tablespoons chopped chives (I use the green part of green onions)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Leave root and 1 inch of stem on beets; scrub with a brush. Place beets in the center of a large piece of parchment paper and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil; fold paper over the beets tightly – you can then cover this with aluminum foil to ensure a nice tight wrap. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until beets are tender. You want them to be a bit firm. Unwrap beets; cool. Trim off beet roots; rub off skins. Cut beet into wedges.
3. While the beets are cooking, combine wheat berries and 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat; simmer for 1 hour or until just tender, stirring occasionally. Drain and cool slightly.
4. Place ¼ cup pumpkin seeds in a large bowl and coarsely crush with the backside of a spoon. Add honey and next 4 ingredients (through pepper); stir well with a whisk. Gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add beets, wheat berries, celery, shallots, and green onions; toss gently. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup pumpkin seeds.
Serves 8
Escarole has a slightly bitter taste and is a member of the endive family. It can be eaten raw, but benefits from cooking as this will take away some of the bitterness. It is especially good in a white bean soup. One medium heads equals about 9-10 cups of coarsely chopped escarole.
Ingredients:
1 head escarole
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 bay leaves
½ lemon, cut into thin slices
2 cups water or chicken stock
pinch of sweetener
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
1. Break off the leaves of the escarole and wash them individually, taking care to remove any soil at the base of the stems. Shake leaves dry, stack them up, and slice the escarole crosswise into ribbons about 1½ inches wide.
2. Place in a deep skillet over medium heat and add the olive and butter. Toss in the garlic, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, and lemon slices; cook and stir for a couple of minutes, tossing to combine. Nestle the escarole into the pan and sauté until it begins to wilt and shrink down, about 2 minutes.
3. Sprinkle the escarole with a pinch of sweetener and season with sea salt and pepper. Pour in the water or stock and cover the pan. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the escarole is tender.
4. Remove escarole from the pot and place on a serving platter and serve warm.
Serves 4